scholarly journals Asilomar moments: formative framings in recombinant DNA and solar climate engineering research

2014 ◽  
Vol 372 (2031) ◽  
pp. 20140064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schäfer ◽  
Sean Low
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Recombinant Dna ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Formative Period ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Climate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Technical Risks ◽  
External Governance

We examine the claim that in governance for solar climate engineering research, and especially field tests, there is no need for external governance beyond existing mechanisms such as peer review and environmental impact assessments that aim to assess technically defined risks to the physical environment. By drawing on the historical debate on recombinant DNA research, we show that defining risks is not a technical question but a complex process of narrative formation. Governance emerges from within, and as a response to, narratives of what is at stake in a debate. In applying this finding to the case of climate engineering, we find that the emerging narrative differs starkly from the narrative that gave meaning to rDNA technology during its formative period, with important implications for governance. While the narrative of rDNA technology was closed down to narrowly focus on technical risks, that of climate engineering continues to open up and includes social, political and ethical issues. This suggests that, in order to be legitimate, governance must take into account this broad perception of what constitutes the relevant issues and risks of climate engineering, requiring governance that goes beyond existing mechanisms that focus on technical risks. Even small-scale field tests with negligible impacts on the physical environment warrant additional governance as they raise broader concerns that go beyond the immediate impacts of individual experiments.

scholarly journals Ethics of Corporeal, Co-present Robots as Agents of Influence: a Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
AJung Moon ◽  
Shalaleh Rismani ◽  
H. F. Machiel Van der Loos
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Natural Tendency ◽  
Ai Ethics ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose of Review To summarize the set of roboethics issues that uniquely arise due to the corporeality and physical interaction modalities afforded by robots, irrespective of the degree of artificial intelligence present in the system. Recent Findings One of the recent trends in the discussion of ethics of emerging technologies has been the treatment of roboethics issues as those of “embodied AI,” a subset of AI ethics. In contrast to AI, however, robots leverage human’s natural tendency to be influenced by our physical environment. Recent work in human-robot interaction highlights the impact a robot’s presence, capacity to touch, and move in our physical environment has on people, and helping to articulate the ethical issues particular to the design of interactive robotic systems. Summary The corporeality of interactive robots poses unique sets of ethical challenges. These issues should be considered in the design irrespective of and in addition to the ethics of artificial intelligence implemented in them.

scholarly journals 106 - Environmental Influences on the Cognitive and Psychological Well Being of Older Adults with Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (S1) ◽  
pp. 15-16
Author(s):  
William E. Reichman ◽  
L. Bradford Perkins ◽  
Hilde Verbeek
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Culture Change ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Term Care

This symposium will review the latest data on the influence of environmental design and its attributes on the cognitive and psychological wellbeing of older adults living with dementia. The presenters will cover the myriad ways in which the physical environment of care can adapt to the changing demands of older adults with sensory, motor and cognitive deficits and foster optimal functioning and quality of life. The role of emerging technologies will also be reviewed as they complement the contribution of the design of the physical environment to the wellbeing of older adults with cognitive impairment. Information will be offered through a review of the existing research literature as well as case studies that illustrate the impact of environmental modification on fostering wellbeing and minimizing the emergence of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The presenters will represent and integrate sensibilities that have emerged from the fields of architecture, cognitive neuroscience and psychology.How the Principles of the Culture Change Movement Inform Environmental Design and the Application of Technology in the Care of Older Adults Living with DementiaWilliam E. ReichmanThe culture change movement informs a number of principles that have been applied to more contemporary design concepts for the congregate care of older adults living with dementia. This talk will review the core tenets of the Culture Change Movement as exemplified by the Greenhouse, Dementia Village and other innovative models of congregate long-term care. Specific reference will be made to how these tenets have been operationalized around the world into the design of programming and the creation of residential care environments that foster a better quality of life for older adults and an enhanced work environment for care providers. This talk will also include the emerging role of technologies that complement innovative design of the environment and which foster optimized social and recreational functioning of older adults living with dementia.A Better Life Through a Better Nursing Home DesignL. Bradford PerkinsOver the last 20 years there has been extensive experimentation related to the role of the environment in the housing, care and treatment of persons with Alzheimer’s and other age related dementias. Prior to that time the typical housing and care environment was a locked unit in a skilled nursing or other restrictive senior living facility. In 1991 the Presbyterian Association on Aging in Western Pennsylvania opened Woodside Place on its Oakmont campus. This small 36 bed facility was designed to incorporate the latest research and care experience with persons suffering from these issues. This one small project, as well as the long post occupancy research led by Carnegie Mellon University, clearly demonstrated that individuals with Alzheimer’s and related forms of dementia could lead a healthier, happier, higher quality of life in a more residential, less restrictive environment. Not everything in this pioneering project worked, and five generations of living and care models have followed that have refined the ideas first demonstrated by Woodside Place. Bradford Perkins, whose firm designed Woodside Place and over 100 other related projects, will discuss what was learned from Woodside Place as well as the five generations of projects (and post occupancy research) that followed.Innovative dementia care environments as alternatives for traditional nursing homes: evidence and experiences from the NetherlandsHilde VerbeekKey goals of the dementia care environment focus on increasing autonomy, supporting independence and trying to enable one’s own lifestyle for as long as possible. To meet these goals, innovative, small-scale and homelike care environments have been developed that have radically changed the physical, social and organizational aspects of long-term care in the Netherlands. This presentation discusses various Dutch models that have implemented small-scale and homelike care environments, including green care farms, dementia village and citizen initiatives. The models reflect a common care concept, focusing on residents’ remaining strengths, providing opportunity for choice and aiming to sustain a sense of self and control. A small number of residents (usually 6 to 8) live together in a homelike environment and nursing staff are part of the household. Residents are encouraged to participate in daily household activities, emphasizing normalization of daily life with person-centred care. The physical environment resembles an archetypal home. This talk presents the scientific evidence on the impact and effects of these small-scale, homelike models on residents, their family caregivers and staff. Furthermore, the presentation will highlight working approaches and how these initiatives have positively influenced routine care across the long-term care spectrum.

Generative Textiles for Non-Rotary Power Production From Wind

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Lux ◽  
Christopher Foster ◽  
Meredith Sellers ◽  
Andrew Friedl ◽  
Carl Feickert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Human Locomotion ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Design And Optimization ◽  
Wind Energy Generation ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Practical Engineering ◽  
Wind Simulation ◽  
Operational Envelope

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) is developing a new class of flexible, generative textile as a novel means of sustainable wind energy generation. Flexible, generative carbon nanotube (CNT)-based textiles may have excellent potential for electrical capacitive storage and reuse in conjunction with small-scale energy-harvesting systems, both from wind for fixed applications and from human locomotion. This paper describes the design and optimization of a three-layer generative textile composed of discrete layers for generation, distribution, and storage. Initial results suggest that improvement in the generation layer will provide the highest increase in overall performance. The output of the electromagnetic tests shows a power density of 0.17 mW/cm3. However, the efficiency can be significantly improved through increasing the voltage output of the generation layer from 20 mV to around 1V. In an analysis of the operational envelope, wind data collected locally at ERDC-CERL and at other sites around the world reveal close similarity in the probability distributions, which could allow for a practical engineering approach capable of harvesting the steady “ram” component in addition to a variable energy component of the wind. To further study the textile-wind interactions, a wind simulation environment is being developed and has been able to obtain reproducible wind speed data thus far.

scholarly journals The Physical Environment of Nursing Homes for People with Dementia: Traditional Nursing Homes, Small-Scale Living Facilities, and Green Care Farms

Healthcare ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bram de Boer ◽  
Hanneke Beerens ◽  
Melanie Katterbach ◽  
Martina Viduka ◽  
Bernadette Willemse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Nursing Home Care ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Green Care Farms

It is well recognized that the physical environment is important for the well-being of people with dementia. This influences developments within the nursing home care sector where there is an increasing interest in supporting person-centered care by using the physical environment. Innovations in nursing home design often focus on small-scale and homelike care environments. This study investigated: (1) the physical environment of different types of nursing homes, comparing traditional nursing homes with small-scale living facilities and green care farms; and (2) how the physical environment was being used in practice in terms of the location, engagement and social interaction of residents. Two observational studies were carried out. Results indicate that the physical environment of small-scale living facilities for people with dementia has the potential to be beneficial for resident’s daily life. However, having a potentially beneficial physical environment did not automatically lead to an optimal use of this environment, as some areas of a nursing home (e.g., outdoor areas) were not utilized. This study emphasizes the importance of nursing staff that provides residents with meaningful activities and stimulates residents to be active and use the physical environment to its full extent.

scholarly journals Physical Transport Processes that Affect the Distribution of Oil in the Gulf of Mexico: Observations and Modeling

Oceanography ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-75
Author(s):  
Michel Boufadel ◽  
◽  
Annalisa Bracco ◽  
Eric Chassignet ◽  
Shuyi Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Mixing Processes ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wide Range

Physical transport processes such as the circulation and mixing of waters largely determine the spatial distribution of materials in the ocean. They also establish the physical environment within which biogeochemical and other processes transform materials, including naturally occurring nutrients and human-made contaminants that may sustain or harm the region’s living resources. Thus, understanding and modeling the transport and distribution of materials provides a crucial substrate for determining the effects of biological, geological, and chemical processes. The wide range of scales in which these physical processes operate includes microscale droplets and bubbles; small-scale turbulence in buoyant plumes and the near-surface “mixed” layer; submesoscale fronts, convergent and divergent flows, and small eddies; larger mesoscale quasi-geostrophic eddies; and the overall large-scale circulation of the Gulf of Mexico and its interaction with the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; along with air-sea interaction on longer timescales. The circulation and mixing processes that operate near the Gulf of Mexico coasts, where most human activities occur, are strongly affected by wind- and river-induced currents and are further modified by the area’s complex topography. Gulf of Mexico physical processes are also characterized by strong linkages between coastal/shelf and deeper offshore waters that determine connectivity to the basin’s interior. This physical connectivity influences the transport of materials among different coastal areas within the Gulf of Mexico and can extend to adjacent basins. Major advances enabled by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative in the observation, understanding, and modeling of all of these aspects of the Gulf’s physical environment are summarized in this article, and key priorities for future work are also identified.

The importance of aerodynamics for prosthetic limb design used by competitive cyclists with an amputation: An introduction

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryce Dyer
Keyword(s):  
Field Test ◽  
Aerodynamic Drag ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Limb Amputation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Prosthetic Limb ◽  
Testing Method ◽  
Competitive Cyclists

Background/Objectives: This study introduces the importance of the aerodynamics to prosthetic limb design for athletes with either a lower-limb or upper-limb amputation. Study design: The study comprises two elements: 1) An initial experiment investigating the stability of outdoor velodrome-based field tests, and 2) An experiment evaluating the application of outdoor velodrome aerodynamic field tests to detect small-scale changes in aerodynamic drag respective of prosthetic limb componentry changes. Methods: An outdoor field-testing method is used to detect small and repeatable changes in the aerodynamic drag of an able-bodied cyclist. These changes were made at levels typical of alterations in prosthetic componentry. The field-based test method of assessment is used at a smaller level of resolution than previously reported. Results: With a carefully applied protocol, the field test method proved to be statistically stable. The results of the field test experiments demonstrate a noticeable change in overall athlete performance. Aerodynamic refinement of artificial limbs is worthwhile for athletes looking to maximise their competitive performance. Conclusion: A field-testing method illustrates the importance of the aerodynamic optimisation of prosthetic limb components. The field-testing protocol undertaken in this study gives an accessible and affordable means of doing so by prosthetists and sports engineers. Clinical relevance Using simple and accessible field-testing methods, this exploratory experiment demonstrates how small changes to riders’ equipment, consummate of the scale of a small change in prosthetics componentry, can affect the performance of an athlete. Prosthetists should consider such opportunities for performance enhancement when possible.

Social and Ethical Concerns of Biomedical Engineering Research and Practice

2011 ◽  
pp. 54-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snehasish Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Biomedical Engineering ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Ethical Values ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Bioethical Issues

Biomedical engineering is an advanced and relatively new field in the healthcare sector. Owing to the very nature of the various professional challenges faced by healthcare professionals, the moral and ethical values seem to have taken the backburner. The factors contributing to it may include a sound knowledge of the healthcare professional on the legally-permissible ethical values, and the desperate situations requiring precise split-moment decision-making. No technological advancement without a human face is worth it, and hence, during the course of the degree, a biomedical engineering student needs to be exposed to various ethical issues through theory, live cases and demonstrations. Being intrinsically multi- and inter-disciplinary, biomedical engineering lacks precise ethical rules that delineate and delimit professional responsibility, thus blurring the ethical understanding of biomedical engineering. The solution seems to lie in giving due place to human virtues. In the coming days, bioethical issues are expected to be increasingly complicated and dominating the decision-making process owing to the advancements in sciences, and the ever-complicated cases handled by healthcare professionals. A global healthcare and ethics-related online open-access portal may serve as a common platform for all the stakeholders in the interest and ethical growth of biomedical engineering in particular and medical sciences in general.

scholarly journals Creation of New Analogues of Natural Phytogormons for Increasing the Yield of Agricultural Crops

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.32) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Zhylkybaev Oral ◽  
Alimzhanova Mereke ◽  
Ashimuly Kazhybek ◽  
Shoinbekova Sabina ◽  
Tukenova Zulfia
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Growth Regulator ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Reference Preparation

Synthesis of new potential plant growth regulators (analogues of natural phytohormones) is accomplished by mixing an equimolar mixture of aryloxypropin and 1-methylpiperidin-4-one under the conditions of Favorsky's reactions. New derivatives of acetylene aminoalcohols - the ZhOT series - have been obtained. The structure of the synthesized compounds was established by IR and NMR 1H spectroscopy. Screening of their water-soluble forms, on wheat and barley seeds, two preparations (ZhOT-4 and ZhOT-7) were selected, which exceed both the control and standards of known phytohormones, such as heteroauxin (indolyl-3-acetic acid), 6-BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) for further testing. Conducted in-depth laboratory and demonstration field tests on cereals (wheat and barley) showed high efficiency of ZhOT-4 and ZhOT-7, the indicators of which exceeded the well-known reference preparation - Agrostimulin (Ukraine). The growth regulating activity of synthesized compounds was determined. Processing of wheat seeds ZhOT-4 and ZhOT-7 increased the field germination of seeds, plant height, leaf area, the mass of the aerial part and the total area. The conducted studies showed that the biological activity of the tested compounds largely depends on the concentration and the best growth regulator is ZhOT-4. The activity of the synthesized growth regulatory compounds has been determined. Treatment of seeds of with ZhOT-4 and ZhOT-7 increased seed germination, height of plants, leave areas, weight of an elevated part and the total area, weight of an elevated part and the total area. Studies have shown that the biological activity of tested compounds is largely dependent on the concentration and the best growth regulator is ZhОТ-4. Thus, the advanced laboratory and demonstration (small-scale) comparative tests of ZhOT-4 and ZhOT-7 and the well-known reference preparation "Agrostimulin" (Ukraine) for cereals (wheat and barley) showed high efficiency of new synthesized preparations. The use of ZhOT preparations increases the germination and germination energy, the number of spikelets, the mass of grains, the bushiness and the yield of wheat and barley, leads to the accumulation of dry mass in both the ground and underground parts of plants. The advantages of ZhOT-4 and ZhOT-7 are: high efficiency, a wide range of cultures, good solubility in water, low application dose of 0.0001% by active ingredient (1g per 1t of water) or 13-50 mg per hectare, comparable to natural phytohormones, long shelf life, safety, high yield of target products, sequential 3-stage reaction in one reactor. 

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